Columns

Shaquille O’Neal to make a movie 

LOS ANGELES — Shaquille O’Neal has provided plenty of drama on the basketball court. Now, he wants to produce a drama for television. 

The Los Angeles Lakers center has met with executives from the major networks to pitch a one-hour drama that he would executive produce, the trade newspaper Variety reported Tuesday. 

The story, which O’Neal created, would follow the friendship that develops between two basketball players. No network has approved the show yet. 

While his commitment to the NBA champion Lakers would prevent him from starring in the series, O’Neal would plan to make occasional guest appearances. 

Off the court, he’s starred in the comedy feature “Kazaam,” the superhero adventure “Steel” and the basketball drama “Blue Chips.” 

He also released five albums, including “Shaq Diesel” and “Shaq Fu: Da Return.” 

The Boss is on tour  

NEW YORK – One week after the July 30 release of his much-anticipated new album, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band kick off a 46-city, 46-show barnstorming tour that begins — where else? — in New Jersey. 

The Aug. 7 date at the Continental Airlines Arena begins the first leg of the tour supporting “The Rising,” Springsteen’s first album with his bandmates since 1984’s “Born in the USA.” It ends Dec. 13 at the Pepsi Center in Albany. 

The tour dates were released Wednesday. 

Springsteen, a Freehold, N.J., native, and company will play 39 dates in North America and another seven in Europe. Unlike past tours, the Boss will play just a single date in each city. 

“Our approach is to bring the music out to as wide a cross section of the country as we could,” said Springsteen’s manager, Jon Landau. “So we’re taking this barnstorming approach — one city, one show.” 

Fear not, though, Springsteen fans — the tour will continue into next year, when Bruce and the band visit Australia and Europe before returning to the United States for a series of multiple shows in major cities next summer. 

One other change for this tour: To add “looseness and excitement” to the show, there will be no seats on the floor, Landau said. U2 took the same approach on its recent tour.